No sign of spring cleaning at ZSC

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Two weeks have passed since the semi-final against Biel. And although there is rumbling among fans and in the area, there are no indications that the disappointing season at ZSC will have any consequences for personnel.

The Lions, who last won the championship in 2018, are now throwing themselves into a discipline in which they are still masters: analyzing a failed season and sitting it out until the temperatures rise and hockey is no longer a thought.

People sometimes react with a thin skin to critical voices. Before the last game, sports director Sven Leuenberger (53) asked if coach Marc Crawford (62) was inhibited after his suspension for his derailment towards a referee (“sucker”), resorting to fecal language on TV. And CEO Peter Zahner, 62, while participating in a discussion on MySports, said, “When I heard the analysis, at first I thought we were relegated.”

“One of the most consistent organizations in the league”

Asked about criticism of Leuenberger in the NZZ, he says “you always have a target” if you don’t succeed, but added: “We didn’t miss the playoffs, but failed in the semi-finals against a very good opponent I think I can say that we have been one of the most consistent organizations in the league over the last ten years.” And in the “SonntagsZeitung”: “It fails me to scapegoat anyone.”

One would have to do without spring cleaning, as Blick had suggested. “Everything was said after the playoffs. There is nothing more to add,” says Zahner at a glance.

It is right that the ZSC emphasizes the strength of Biel’s team, but it cannot hide the fact that the Lions cannot claim a series against the Seeländer in four games without problems. The citizens of Zurich are measured by titles.

Crawford’s asset is promoting young talent

But coach Crawford, who replaced the Swede Rikard Grönborg after Christmas but was unable to improve the standings (from 3 to 4) or the performance (from 1.87 to 1.45 points per game), is firmly in the saddle. As a precaution, the Canadian had subtly pointed out when he took office that he had already spoken to almighty Lions patron Walter Frey in 2019 about a return.

Crawford is credited for having little time to shape the team and rightly credited for giving his talent another chance. For three years, Grönborg had looked at how wrong it was to promote young talent. However, Zahner claimed in the NZZ that “the last two years with the coach” have been “hugely exhausted”.

Source : Blick